Shipyard IPA

As I mentioned in my previous post, I’m doing multiple reviews on this sunny weekend afternoon/evening. Next up is Shipyard IPA. Last week I picked up a Shipyard mixed 12 pack. This is where the Shipyard IPA came from. Earlier this week I drank up the other two bottles of the IPA. Being down to my last one, I suppose I should review it!

I managed to pour the beer perfectly, leaving around an inch of head. The head is resilient; 5 minutes later, there is a significant layer of foam on top of the beer. I’ve recently learned that different beers require different pouring methods. I was enlightened by a reader (and long time beer drinker), who emailed me a link to a very helpful video, which I believe he stars in. It’s short, but informative…check it out here.

Back to the beer…

The IPA has a sweet aroma. Not as hoppy scented as I expected. Not a strong aroma either, as it required me to get my nose right into the pint glass to get a good whiff.

The taste follows the smell; malty sweet. Citrus hops are there, but only BARELY. The aftertaste is surprising, as it turns out on the bitter side. Because I enjoy sweet over bitter, I like this IPA. Not sure you hop-heads would be thrilled.

Ringwood is a yeast strain from the Ringwood brewery in England, which Shipyard uses in all their beers. Depending on a number of factors in the brewing process, Ringwood can produce a lot of diacetyl, a fermentation by-product that tastes and smells like butter or butterscotch.

Personally, I think it works splendidly in some of Shipyard's beers like Chamberlain and Old Thumper. However, when I drink the IPA or the Summer the main taste I get is buttered popcorn.

There's a great summary of Ringwood, including pros and cons (and an interview with Shipyard brewer Alan Pugsley) at the 2 Guys Beer Blog. To give full credit, that is where I pulled the information in the opening bit of this comment from.